Slipknot - All Hope is Gone
There were a lot of questions and rumors going around about the highly anticipated new Slipknot CD, All Hope is Gone. People wondered if Slipknot sold out, had they gone soft, if would they lose the masks, and even was Shawn "Clown" Crahan leaving the band. The answer to all of these rumors and questions is, no.
Some of the band members' masks did change. Some of these changes were subtle like the colors of customer percussionists Christ Fehn's and the added zipper to guitarist James Root's mask. And then some of the mask changes were major such as vocalist Corey Taylors and DJ Sid Wilson's complete redesign on their masks. All of the masks still look great with the changes though.
The CD itself has everything that a Slipknot fan is used to in it. There is a lot of double bass drums from drummer Joey Jordison, great guitar solos by James Root and Mick Thompson, a lot of aggression, screaming, and heavy music mixed in with some awesome vocals. And then, they throw in some curve balls with some different instruments such as an acoustic guitar, bass drum, piano, and I want to say even a xylophone in one song. To top it off, vocalist Corey hits some notes that I didn't think he could hit in the song "Gehenna." Even with the new things added onto the normal Slipknot songs, the band pulls it off without a hitch.
The CD is sold in two versions. The first version is 12 tracks long (the intro and 11 songs), or for a few dollars more you get an entertaining DVD of the making of All Hope is Gone, and three bonus songs for a total of 15 tracks (the intro and 14 songs). We picked up the CD/DVD combo.
All Hope is Gone starts out with what I think is the best Slipknot CD intro by them so far. I can't pinpoint exactly what I love about it, but it sets a great tone for the rest of the CD. The CD has a few different sounds on it. "Gematria (the Killing Name)," "Sulfer," "Psychosocial," Butcher's Hook," "This Cold Black," "Whereinlies Continue," and "All Hope is Gone" are classic hard core sounding songs that Slipknot is known for. "'Till We Die," "Gehanna," "Vermillion Pt 2 [Bloodstone Mix],"and "Child of Burning Time" are the less hard-core songs on the CD that they like to throw in. Finally, "Vendetta" and "Butcher's Hook" have a small Stone Sour sound to them, but they are still heavy songs.
The DVD of the making of All Hope is Gone is great. It isn't a documentary or anything like that. It is just some film footage of the recording of the CD, them in the large masks, and just having fun. It doesn't sound like much but I found it entertaining to watch. It's funny to watch the band walking through a field with the large masks on when it is windy outside, and then you have Sid Wilson shooting at the camera from behind a door with his cap gun. Then at other times it is creepy when the camera pans out and out of nowhere you see one of the band members standing in a window or doorway wearing the big masks. It is a little freaky to see one of them in the large mask carrying a rifle in the field also, just makes you wonder. You do see most of their faces throughout the DVD, although some of the members are only seen from behind so you don't get a good look at their face.
I've listened to the entire CD at least 10 times, and I'm still loving every notes of it. The CD sounds a lot better with the volume turned up pretty loud than having it low so you can hear your surroundings too. The non bonus CD is just under an hour in length, and the CD/DVD is over an hour with the three bonus songs, which is a great length since it seems that most CDs are getting shorter every year.
This is definitely a CD that all maggots should definitely own. If you only like the heavier sounds of Slipknot, then I would buy the normal version of the album and to everybody that likes a little more variation, then the CD/DVD combo is a better choice. As long as Slipknot continues to put out quality CDs like this and every other CD they have put out so far, the fans will continue to buy them. I highly suggest either buying the CD or downloading it from iTunes or any other website that sells music online.
Shane's favorite pics
I honestly can say that I love the entire CD, but my favorite three songs are:
- "'Til we Die" - This song reminds me of "Circle." I'm pretty sure the song is about the band and how much of a family they are. I know it sounds a little sappy but it's a great song.
- "Gehanna" - There is something very sinister about this song that I just love. It reminds me of "The Virus of Life" which I think is a great song in itself. Then the higher notes that Corey sings in this song, creep me out but in a good way.
- "Sulfur" - This is a badass song that I think most maggots will love. The combinations of screaming, singing, and all of the instruments make this another of my favorites of the CD.